Tone modifier



March 22,1927. v 1,621.608

T. J. SLECHTA TONE MODIFIER Filed Dec. .4, 1924 fiwenfor 715012206 JS/ecbfa Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UN I T ED STATES THOMAS J. SLECHTA, OF MINNEAPQLIS, MINNESOTA.

TONE MODIFIER.

Application filed December My invention relates to wind instruments, and, more particularly, to wind reed instruments, such as clarinets, and saxophones, and to wind instruments such as cornets, trumpets and the like, and it provides a simple and efiective device for very materially changing the quality and character of the tone without changing the pitch of the instrument; The" device isin the nature of a diaphragm or disc, which, when thrown into action, is subject to the air vibrations produced in the instrument and is thereby set into action to produce a vibrato or tremolo without changing the pitch of the instrument. Moreover, the diaphragm, in addition to the vibrato produced, which is the tone quality of the instrument, produces a timbre or tone color that somewhat ap proaches that of an oboe and which may be described as oriental in quality and which is very desirable in playing what is known as jazz. music. As an additional novel and important feature, I provide means whereby the vibrator or disc of the device can be quickly thrown into or out of action, thereby instantly changing the instrument from its normal or ordinary condition to its transformed tone-producing condition.

The device above generally described may be applied to difierent instruments in various difierent ways, as will hereinafter appear, in the accompanying drawings wherein several arrangements thereof are illustrated.

In the said drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the improved tone modifier shown as applied to the mouthpiece of a clarinet, some parts of the instrument being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a somewhat enlarged transverse section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an axial section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4c is a plan View showing the tone modifier incorporated in the mouthpiece of the comet or trumpet;

Fig. 5 is an axial section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an axial section showing the tone modifier applied to the barrel joint of a clarinet or similar instrument.

First describing the construction illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 7 indicates the body, the numeral 8 the barrel 4, 192%. Serial No. 753,852.

joint, and the numeral 9 the mouthpiece of the clarinet, the said mouthpiece beingequipped with the customary reed 10 and clamp 11. For the application of my invention, the mouthpiece 9 is shown modified as tollows: ts barrel portion is provided with a rigidly secured thin metal bushing tube 12 within which is rotatively mounted a thin metal valve-acting tube 13, the inner diameter of which latter is that of the proper internal diameter or bore of the barrel portion of the mouthpiece. As indicated, the'bushing tube 12 is non-rotary, but the va-lve acting tube 13 is capable of oscillatory movements or rotation. The bottom portion of the barrel of the mouthpiece 9' iscut away, as shown, through more than 180, t'oform a segmental air chamber 14, and this air chamber let is enclosed by a segmental plate 15 of metal or other suitable material that is rigidly secured to the barrel of the mouthpiece but terminates its rear end'short ot the reduced end of the mouthpiece, so as to form a segmental passage 16 for an operating lever 17 that is rigidly secured to the valve-acting tube 13 and works through a segmental slot in the fixed tube 12.

Within the air chamber lei is one or more diaphragms 0r discs 18. In the construction here illustrated, there are two of the said diaphragms 18, both rigidly secured to flattened projections or" the fixed tube 12 by suitable clamping means. The clamping means shown consists of annular flanges 19 secured to the flattened portions of the tube 12 and held in place by clamping rings 20, trictionally pressed into the said clar. ping flanges. The tube 12 is provided wi h air ports 21 that open directly against the respective diaphragms 18.

The valve-acting tube 13 is formed with a circumterentially extended air port 22 that is preferably circumferentially tapered from one end toward the other and, as illustrated, extends through about one hundred and twenty degrees. This port 22, by oscillatory movements of the tube 13, quickly produced by manipulation of the lever or linger piece 17, can be turned into any desired registration, partial or complete, with one or both of the air ports 21, or may be turned entirely out 01 registration with both of said ports.

iVhen the valve tube 13 is adjusted as shown in Fig. 2, both ports 21 will be closed and both diaphragms will be out out of action so that the instrument will then have its ordinary or normal tone quality. W hen the port 22 is turned into registration more or less with one or both of the ports 21, one or both of the diaphragms will be then subject to the air vibrations from within the instrument and they will themselves then be vibrated, producing the above noted vibrato or tremolo and changed tone quality. By various adjustments of the valve-acting sleeve, the extent of the vibrato and change in tone color may be shaded or regulated, at will.' The above noted adjustments of the valve and the changed condition of the instrument may, as is evident, be quickly produced by a simple movement of the lever 17 and without taking the mouthpiece from the mouth of the player.

In Figs. 4: and 5, which show the tone modifier applied to the mouthpiece of a brass instrument, the numeral 28 indicates the bell of the mouthpiece, the stem of which, instead of being made 01" a single integral part, is made up oi telescoped sections 23 and 23 The telescoped portions of the stem sect-ions 23 and 23 are provided, respectively, with cooperating air ports 23 and 23",the latter of which is preferably made round, while the former is circumferentially elongated at one side. The numeral 24 indicates a diaphragm or disc that is stretched over the port '23 and is held in place by any suitable means, such as an annular flange 25 solder-ea or otherwise rigidly secured to the stem section 23 and within whichis 'frictionally held a clamping ring 26. The numeral 27 indicates a thin metal tubular shell that surrounds the tel-escoped portions of the stern sections 23 and 23 and at its large end has threaded engagement at 28 with the exterior of the mouthpiece bell 23. At its extended or smaller end, the shell 27 closely fits the stem section 23 and abuts against an annular flange 29 on the latter, thereby holding the two stem sections 23 and 23 together or against axial movements but free for swivelling movements of the one in respect to the other. As an additional feature, the shell27 is shown as provided with an air port 30, for a purpose that will presently appear.

In this form of the device, the ports 23 and 23 can be turned into and out of registration very quickly and easily simply by taking hold of the shell 27 and rotating the stem section 23 and bell 23 in respect to the stem section 23 The stem section 23 is slightly tapered so that it may be inserted into the horn or instrument in the customary way. 7 Of course, when the ports 23 and 23" are out of registration, the cornet or instrument will have its ordinary tone quality, .and when the ports are in registration, the vibrato or tremolo will be produced and the tone quality will be changed and give a nasal quantity. Moreover, when the ports 23 and 23 are in registration, a further and slower vibration or variation in tone may be produced by using a finger to intermittently open and close the air port 30 in the shell 27.

In Fig. 6, the tone modifier is shown as applied to the barrel joint 8 of a clarinet or imilar instrument. As shown, this joint is provided at its ends with metal bushings 31, with inset annular heads 32, and with a central air tube 33, which latter is spaced from the body of the joint to form an air chamber In this construction, the diaphragn'i 35 is applied to cover a port 36 in the tube 33 and is secured thereto bysuitable means, such an an annular flange 37 on said tube and a clamping ring 38 frictionally held in said flange. Also, as shown, the joint 8 is provided with an air port 39 that opens into the air chamber 34: and is adapted to be opened and closed by a finger. In this arrangement, no means has been shown for throwing the tone modifier into and out of action but, if desired, the scheme illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 may be incorporated ther in.

The diaphragms or vibratory discs above described may be made of various difierent substances, such as fish skin, thin sheep skin, celluloid, very thin sheet metal, and the like. I have, however, obtained very satisfactory results by the use of properly cured fish skin.

What I claim is:

1. A wind instrument having in a wall thereof an air port and outward of said air port an air chamber, adiaphragm stretched across said air port and subject to the musical tone-producing air vibrations fromwithin the instrument, and a valve-acting element movable to close said air port and out said diaphragm out of the infiuence of said air vibrations, said valve-acting element being in the form of a sleeve having a port that cooperates with the port over which said diaphragm is stretched, to open and close said latter port.

'2. A wind instrument having in a wall thereof an air port and outward ot said air port an air chamber, a diaphragm stretched across said air port and subject to the musical tone-producing air vibrations from within the instrument, and a valve-acting element movable to close said air port and out said diaphragm out of the influence of said air vibrations, said valve-acting element being in the form of a sleeve having a port that cooperates with the port over which said diaphragm is stretched, to open and close said latter port, one of said cooperating air ports being circumferentially tapered so as to give a progressive and gradual opening and closing of said ports. In testimony whereof ture.

' THOMAS J. SLEGHTA.

I affix my signa- 

